Donald Trump’s senior adviser used attempted to justify the Muslim ban by blaming Iraqi refugees for the ‘Bowling Green massacre’, which never happened.

Kellyanne Conway has been widely ridiculed for her comments in a televised interview with Chris Matthews on MSNBC, where she attempted to explain Trump’s so-called ‘Muslim ban’ by blaming two refugees for committing an entirely fictional atrocity.

Conway told Matthews:

“I bet it’s brand new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalised and they were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre.

“Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered.”

This “massacre” was not covered by the press as it did not happen. There was a plot by two Iraqi nationals living in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to send money, explosives and weapons to al-Qaeda”, but it was thwarted by the authorities and no-one was killed or injured.

This plot was the direct cause for the limited six-month travel restrictions imposed during Barrack Obama’s presidency, and was lifted once the threat had subsided.

In contrast, Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ has been imposed with little input from the intelligence community or the State Department, and there is no direct threat.